Our work is to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
We believe the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be healthy, accessible to everyone, and its watershed be a place where people and wildlife thrive.
To conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
We serve as a catalyst for change, advancing strong public and private partnerships, developing and using new technology, and empowering environmental stewardship.
- Implement Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (Chesapeake Trail) and Chesapeake Bay Gateways & Watertrails Network in partnership with the National Park Service
- Quantify the conservation movement and empower environmental stewards
- Defend and expand conservation, recreation and restoration programs
- Enhance collaboration and leverage partnerships
- Develop replicable approaches
“Half” Will Make Us Whole
Eighteen million people call the Bay watershed home. That means we have 18 million reasons to protect this landscape so that future generations will have the same opportunities we enjoy—and incidentally, we will have an additional 4 million reasons by 2050.
Noted conservationist E.O. Wilson, author of Half-Earth, proposes a bold plan to save our imperiled biosphere: Conserve half the surface of the Earth, both land and ocean, to maintain nature.
At the Chesapeake Conservancy, we’re working with serious consideration toward the goal to maintain half of the Chesapeake Bay watershed by conserving and restoring working lands and natural lands and the places that matter for the future of our region.
Currently, approximately 22 percent of the land area in the Chesapeake watershed is conserved. This includes important working lands, rich farmlands, and productive forests, as well as our natural lands, including national and state parks and wildlife areas.
In comparison, approximately 11 percent of the watershed is developed. A distant goal of protecting 50 percent of the watershed’s working lands and natural lands would still leave around 39 percent available for future growth and development and other needs of society.
Chesapeake Conservancy has worked with many partners to expand protections for iconic symbols, like Fones Cliffs on the Rappahannock River, or Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in the Nanticoke River watershed that represent the very best of the Chesapeake. Places that are truly irreplaceable and threatened by sea-level rise and development.
Thank you for supporting our work. It is helping our partnership efforts to restore the Chesapeake Bay by providing access to the latest groundbreaking technology. Your support is helping us connect people to their watershed by increasing public access through our very important partnership with the National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office. It is helping us think big, because with careful stewardship, together we can pass on something that we are all proud of to our children and grandchildren—a legacy of our water quality, wildlife, and way of life.
Anne Scott Joel E. Dunn
Chair of the Board President & CEO
Douglas P. Wheeler, Chair
Anne W. Scott, Vice Chair
Robert Gensler, Treasurer
Robert G. Stanton, Secretary
Marc Bunting
Jane Danowitz
Leslie Delagran
Joel E. Dunn
Holly A. Evans
Robert E. Friend
Heather Gartman
Stephen F. Harper
Verna Harrison
Barbara Jackson
Randall W. Larrimore
Turney McKnight
Jeffery More
John G. Neely
Dr. Mamie A. Parker
Richard Scobey
Molly Joseph Ward
Honorary Members
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes (ret.)
U.S. Senator John Warner (ret.)
Emeritus Directors
Patrick F. Noonan
Charles A. Stek
David Blitzer
Keith Campbell
Charles H. “Chip” Collins
Dr. Wilton “Wilt” Corkern
Lavinia Currier
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Elinor Farquhar
Sid Jamieson
Amanda Savage Mahoney
Nancy Merrill
Joan Murray
Truman Semans, Sr.
Ann Swanson
John Turner
H.W. “Skip” Wieder
Steven Williams
Jeffrey Allenby, Director of Conservation Technology
Patty Allen, Office Manager
Carolyn Black, Interpretation and Partnership Associate
Kate Bohanan, Project Manager
Jody Couser, Director of Communications
Jacob Czawlytko, Geospatial Analyst
Carly Dean, Project Manager
Joel E. Dunn, President & CEO
Melissa Ehrenreich, Director of Development
Kelsey Everett, Digital Resources Coordinator
Adrienne Gemberling, Susquehanna Technical Coordinator
John Griffin, Program Manager, Chesapeake Conservation Partnership
Louis Keddell, Senior Geospatial Analyst
LeeAnn King, Geospatial Program Manager
Jacob Leizear, GIS Fellow
Joseph McCauley, Chesapeake Fellow
Emily Mills, Geospatial Analyst
Michael Norton, Research Manager
Cassandra Pallai, Geospatial Program Manager
David Saavedra, Senior Geospatial Analyst
Jared Schultz, Grants Specialist
Helen Sieracki, Development Coordinator
Susan Shingledecker, Vice President & Director of Programs
Patrick Smith, Communications and Partnership Coordinator
Rachel Soobitsky, Geospatial Project Manager
Robin Talbot, Executive Assistant
Katie Walker, Geospatial Analyst
Colleen Whitlock, Director of Administration
Emily Wiggans, Geospatial Analyst
CONSERVATION INNOVATION CENTER
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- Empower local environmental stewardship
- Enable epic collaboration
- Focus the community on quantified outcomes
- Drive measurable results
- Justify continued public investments
- Create new private investment opportunities
Fones Cliffs
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PUBLIC ACCESS
Seaford
In October 2018, US Senator Chris Coons joined Seaford Mayor David Genshaw, National Park Service Chesapeake Bay Office officials, and Chesapeake Conservancy to announce plans for a new waterfront park at the site of the old J.B. Robinson Oyster House along the Seaford Riverwalk in Delaware.
With Seaford as the Gateway to the Chesapeake at the head of the Nanticoke River, we are demonstrating how healthy communities and protected lands can go hand-in-hand.
Wye Island
With support from REI Co-op, whose generous funding matched a grant from the Maryland State Highway Administration’s National Recreational Trails Program, Chesapeake Conservancy successfully completed the installation of a new canoe and kayak launch at Wye Island in Queen Anne’s County, Md.
Point Lookout
In October, we celebrated our partnership with the National Park Service and Maryland State Parks which led to a new paddle-in camp site at Point Lookout State Park and Newtowne Neck State Park, both located in St. Mary’s County. Now paddlers can camp comfortably and make a longer journey of their adventure on the Bay. These improvements were jointly financed by Program Open Space funding and Gateways funding—critical conservation programs we have helped to fully fund with our advocacy.
Turkey Island Creek
In September, we proudly joined the James River Association to celebrate the partnership that led to a new public access site and protected 24 acres of land on Turkey Island Creek, a tributary of the James River in eastern Henrico County.
INNOVATION
South River
The South River Federation (now the Arundel Rivers Federation) based in Edgewater, Md. launched a new online water quality map built in partnership with the Chesapeake Conservancy.
Stream Mapping
In 2018, a partnership with University of Maryland-Baltimore County and Chesapeake Conservancy was awarded $1.2 million from the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) to create a more accurate, updated map for the watershed by applying new stream mapping techniques.
EPA
In December 2018, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an award of $1,080,000 to Chesapeake Conservancy so that it can update and improve land use data critical to Chesapeake Bay restoration.
Along with partners, Chesapeake Conservancy will provide state and local jurisdictions updated, high-resolution, high-quality data about changes to landscapes and the locations of headwaters streams and other water features
MEASURING RESULTS
INSPIRING EXPLORATION
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CHAMPIONS OF THE CHESAPEAKE
We express our gratitude to all this year’s Champions of the Chesapeake sponsors including: Intel, Microsoft, Beveridge & Diamond, HoganLovells, RBC Wealth Management, The Conservation Fund, Bank of America, The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment, M&T Bank, Spectra Integration, Molly Joseph Ward, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc, Athens Paper and Packing, Herrington Harbour, Herrington on the Bay, Martin Architectural, The Severn Companies, Shore Bancshares, Total Wine & More, Turner Sculpture, and Larry Ringgold.
Donors
Our sincere appreciation to the individual, foundation, and corporate donors who have made our work possible. We’d especially like to thank the 303 donors who helped us raise $154,661 in our first ever crowdfunding campaign. We truly appreciate your generosity.
Seven Generations Society
(Planned Gifts)
Anne Gordon Keidel Trust
$25,000+
The 1994 Charles B. Degenstein Foundation
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Bancroft Foundation
Bunting Family Foundation
Campbell Foundation
explore.org
Farvue Foundation
Hamer Foundation
The Helena Foundation
Turney McKnight
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
REI
Roemer Foundation
Shared Earth Foundation
Wildlife Management Institute
$15,000-$24,999
Mary and Charles Dankmeyer
John G. & Jean R. Gosnell Foundation, Inc.
Randall Larrimore and Cathy Cutright
$10,000-$14,999
Anonymous
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
Intel Corporation
James M. and Margaret V. Stine Foundation
Microsoft Corporation
Town Creek Foundation
Virginia S. Warner Foundation
$1,000-$9,999
Curtis Backus
Baltimore Heritage Area Association
Bank of America
Scott and Nancy Beatty
Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Jim and Shirley Blackwell
Blue Waters Foundation
Aaron Bowden
Leslie and Andrew Cockburn
The Conservation Fund
Kevin and Katie Cooke
Jane Cooper and Philip Angell
Wilton and Mary Corkern
The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation
Jane Danowitz
Leslie Delagran and Mark McConnell
The Dillon Fund
Dock Street Foundation
Dennis Dutterer
Elinor Farquhar
Richard Franyo
Bob and Chris Friend
John Kaul Greene
Rebecca Guerriero
Paul Hagen and Chris Jahnke
Michael and Ann Hankin
The Harding Family Foundation
Stephen F. Harper
Herrington On The Bay Catering and Herrington Harbour Marinas
Hogan Lovells
Jay Joseph
Kovitz Investment Group
Judy Larrimore
Lucie Lehmann
John Luetkemeyer
James and Marcia Luke
M&T Bank
Mariposa Fund
Martin Architectural Group
Joseph McCauley and Julia Herrick
Dennis W. Meadowcroft
Mark and Magda Westerhout Mobley
Jeffery More
David and Kim Morrow
John and Sue Neely
Patagonia, Inc.
Mark and Karen Perreault
Anna and Leonard Pfeiffer
Ed and Kathy Quinn
RBC Wealth Management
Daniel L. Ridout, MD
Ann Copeland Rose
Sacharuna Foundation
Richard Scobey
Anne Scott
Severn Companies
Shore Bancshares, Inc.
Chloe Squires
Charles Stek
Edward L. Strohbehn Jr. and Heather L. Ross
Molly Ward
Hill and Alice Wellford
Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.
Doug Wheeler
Great Blue Heron Club ($500-$999)
Anonymous
Chip and Sally Akridge
BCJ
Thad and Renee Bench
Ann Bissell
Bob Bunch
The Couser Family
Nick Dilks
Ecosystem Investment Partners
Holly Evans
Garden Club of Twenty, Inc.
Betty M. Garrand
Joe Gill
Verna Harrison and Bob Pelrine
John Holmes
Joe and Martha Janney
James L. Jarvis
Betsy Lafferty
Dale and Patricia Larrimore
Bruce and Kathy Lowry
Ed McMahon
Kathy Moore
Sara Morningstar and Philip Katz
Joel Nelson
New Annapolitans
Mamie Parker
Mace Rosenstein and Louise de la Fuente
Schuh Family Foundation
Niharika Shah
John and Lisa Sherwood
Ellen Shiery and Andrew Blischak
Nick and Annie Shreiber
Lynn and Doug Smarte
Melissa and Peter Smith
Kristin Sorensen
Robert Stanton
Roger and Sally Stobbart
Thomas Straehle
Amy Stump
John and Kimberly Thacker
Parvin Titus
Mark and Maansi Travers
Matthew Trotta
Skip and Linda Wieder
Simon Yao
Eagle Club ($250-$499)
Carlos Abrams-Rivera
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Scott and Kathryn Allan
The Allayne and Douglas Wick Foundation
Bruce Armistead
Robert and Susan Artigiani
Susan Barnett
Jason and Caryn Berstein
Susan Borschel
Denis Bovin
Bonita Coffey
Ed and Leslie Cronin
Ralph and Carlotta Crosby
Bill Dickinson
Charlie Dilks
Joel Dunn
Melissa Ehrenreich
Jak and Patricia Eskinazi
Joan Fennekohl
Paul Ferraro and Kristin Rowles
Phil Fields
Sara Floss
William Gard
Heather Gartman
Kyle P. German
Glen’s Garden Market
Rebecca Gray
Dr. Jonathan D. Green and Ms. Lynn Buck
Pamela Gregory
Ed Haile
Michael and Madlyn Hanes
Sallie Jackson
Peter M. Jarowey II
Lisa Mauldin Johnson
Peter and Linda Krivkovich
Jim Lighthizer
Glennda and David Lockard
George and Mandy Mahoney
Karen McJunkin
Stephanie and Rob Meeks
Susan Moerschel
Jeff and Linda Norris
Keith O’Connor
Julia Persinger
Kim Pins
David Pittenger
Robert Reisner
Janet and James Ross
Bill and Wendy Schickler
Kurt and Leslie Schwoppe
Kyle Simpson
Jimmy Slaughter
Daniel Stack
Bruce and Betsy Stefany
Janet Steinberg
Amy Stolarski
David T. Urban
David and Maria Vershel
Stafford and Sue Warren
Barbara and Sandy Weeks
Harrison and Sue Wellford
C.D. Wrestler
Mark Young and Rachel Carren
Osprey Club ($100-$249)
Anonymous (8)
Mike A.
The Allenby Family
Jeff Allenby
Nancy Allenby
Barbara Anderson
Troy Anderson
Vince Bahk
Art and Randi Baker
Will Baker
Glenn Barry
Bob Baugh
Hedrick Belin and Mary Bissell
Gray Benoist
Bethany
Bethany
Bee and Bud Billups
Gordon Binder
Lex Birney
Cheryl Bishop
Steve and Clare Blaine
Karl Blankenship and Kathleen Gaskell-Blankenship
Curtis Bohlen
Posey and Bill Boicourt
The James Bowden Family
David and Suzanne Boyd
Judith Brennan
Warren Brown
Bruce Bugbee
Peter Bungay
John and Anna Castle
Jane Chambers
Bill Chandler
Walt and Zan Cochran-Bond
Tom Colberg
Mary Ann Cronin
Lillie-bug Crowley
Larry Culleen and Nina Weisbroth
Eugene Cunningham
Peter and Suzanne Davies
Candy Davis
Carly Dean
Paula A. Degen
Lori Demeter
Edward and Nancy Dentz
Devine Solutions LLC
Lanie Dilks
Carla Dinowitz
Nick DiPasquale
Don and Vicky
Richard and Anne Dougherty
Michele Doyel
Mary Clare Duffy
Phil Dunn and Judi Herrmann
Dorry Emmer
Michael and Karen Errico
Janet Evans
Elaine Farrant
Mary Farrell
Mike and Whitney Fiore
Foundation for PA Watersheds
Four Rivers Garden Club Of Annapolis
Jeff Fuge
Sarah Gallen
Linda Gaydos
Pamela Goddard
Preston Godfrey III
The Godstrey Family
Cynthia Wagner Golliday
Michael Goralski
Mary Greiner
Cory and Tim Griffeth
John and Michele Griffin
Karl and Maureen Grizio
Mike Grubert
Chris and Meg Hankin
Henry Hansen
John and Gail Hanson
Melinda G. Harris
Virginia Bice Hartman
Christine Hayes
Page Hayhurst-Kiniry
Jennifer Miller Herzog
Martin and Tessa Hilado
Mary Holthaus
Nina Rodale Houghton
Betty Ann and John Burnside Howard
Hope Howard
Carol Husband
Jack Irvine
Scott Iseyama
Elizabeth Johnson
Elizabeth Jones
Joseph
Joyce
Judy
Kayla and Evan
Margaret D. Keller
Keystone Homebrew Supply
Greg Koeln
Philip Krone
Courtney Kunzelmann
Megan Lamb
Ruth Lane
Cynthia Langhirt
Rebecca Lawson
Patrick Leech
Ruby S. Lehman
Thomas E. Lovejoy
Fred and Jean Lucas
John Lupton
Adele Madden
Joley Manderfield
Pamela Marks
Joseph and Anne Maroon
Barbara Martin
Maryland Environmental Trust
Vickie Matheis
Grace & Bruno Mattiello
Michael and Phyllis McCauley
Scott McDaniel
Glenda McDaris
Patrick A. McGeehin
Kara McGuirk
David McQuillin
Nancy Merrill
Julia Metcalf
Egils Milbergs
David and Lisa Mills
MNT
Robert and Eileen Moore
Morgan and Jim
James and Elizabeth Morley
Denis L. Murray, Sr.
Nancy
Michael Nardolilli
National Parks Conservation Association
Eric Nelson
NMSam79
Nancy O’Brien
Kyle Oliver
Lloyd E. Oliver
Brendan and Susan O’Neill
Oscar
Wendy O’Sullivan and Andrew Russette
The Pallai Family
The Pallai Family
Delphine Peck
Steven and Polly Percy
Reed Perry
Blaine and Eliza Phillips
Judge S. J. Plager
Ann and Eliot Powell
Ann Powers
Rebecca
Jon and Katie Reneau
Sandra Resner
John and Barbara Reynolds
Richard
Tack & Catherine Richardson
Robin
Anne V. Robinson
Ruth Robinson
Letitia Robson
Patrick S.
Alan Saavedra
Jeffrey and Phyllis Sabot
Kris Sarri
John A. and J. Luray Schaffner
Jay and Camilla Schwarz
Martha Schwieters
Nita Settina
Robert and Audrey Shade
Bob and Leah Shepherd
Grant Sherfick & Rose Shingledecker
Susan Shey
Susan Shingledecker
Scott R. Shipman
Tom and Kris Shock
Kathleen Shultz
Michael and Catherine Shultz
Simon Sidamon-Eristoff
Jayson Soobitsky
Rick and Jill Springer
Michael Stack
John Stalfort
Gloria Stearns
Marshall and Susan Steele
Daniel Studnicky
Joan Barton Sundheim
Ralph Swan
Eric and Ann Swanson
Linda Tatro
Bill and Linda Teare
Ann Templeman
Michael Tomasky
Lorie Tudor
John Turner
Wilbert Utsey
Greg and Suzy Vovak
Deborah Ward
Diana Weatherby
Helene Weil
Rick and Dona Weingarten
Lisa and Eric Whisenhunt
David and Evelyn White
Cherilyn Widell
Laura and Tom Wiggans
David and Cathy Willauer
Sharee Williamson
Barbara L. Winner
N. Ruth Wood
David Wye
Donna and Bob Zellers
Chesapeake Stewards Club
(Monthly Donors)
Barbara Anderson
Hope Howard
Matthew Hunley
Lucie Lehmann
Michael and Phyllis McCauley
Dave Robertson
Melissa and Peter Smith
Kristin Sorensen
Thomas Straehle
In-Kind Gifts
Beveridge & Diamond, P.C.
Jay Chaffin
Christian Graphic Solutions
Spectra Integration
Total Wine & More
Turner Sculpture
Wild Echo Media
Matching Gifts
Bank of America Matching Gift Program
ExxonMobil Foundation
IBM Corporation
Main Street America Group
Microsoft Corporation
Olin Corporation Charitable Trust
Pfizer Foundation Matching Gifts Program
Donation Honorees
Audrey and Tom, the Ospreys
Aunt Olive on her farm
David Benack
Gary Bullis
Pamela Cambardella
Elizabeth Carren
Tristan Cleveland
Joseph and Genevieve Coyle
The Crazy Osprey Family
Leslie Delagran
Prudence and Edward Dunning
Melissa Ehrenreich
Mike & Marcey Francella
William and Joanna Gandy
The great work being done by Fletcher, Rachel and the rest of the CIC Team
Dr. Eric Greene, Montana Osprey Project
Harper and Ryan
Tim and Caitlin Hartford
Doug Johnson
Randy Larrimore and Cathy Cutright
Alberta E. Leitzel
John and Sophia Michels
Emily Mills
Mom
Carlyn Nelson
Leslie H. Pierce, Jr. and Sr.
Peter and Andrew Shingledecker
Susan Shingledecker
Jeanne and Frank Shipman
Mark van Stolk
Molly Joseph Ward
Senator John Warner
In Memoriam Honorees
Joseph Badanes
Dr. Donald Bice
Kenneth A. Campbell
Rick Cowles
Tom Dineen
Dr. Roger Doyel
Frank, Josephine, Ross, and Evelyn
Gracie, the beloved Labrador retriever
Nellie Grant
Joseph W. Janssens Jr.
Dr. Richard B. Kay and his beautiful wife
Keith Kelly
Irene Ivy Kelser
Eileen Larrimore
Randy Riggs
Nicholas Scott Stoer
Carol Van Horn
Partners and Clients
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Dumbarton Oaks Park Conservancy
Chesapeake Bay Trust
Community Foundation for the Alleghenies
Ecosystem Investment Partners
Esri
Fauquier County Department of Community Development
Foundation for PA Watersheds
George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Grayce B. Kerr Fund, Inc.
Harford Land Trust
InnoCentive
Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance
Land Trust Alliance
Lincoln Institute of Land Policy
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Maryland State Highway Administration
Microsoft Corporation
National Park Service-Chesapeake Bay Office
NeighborSpace of Baltimore County
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
River Network
Sultana Projects, Inc.
Sussex County Government
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Chesapeake Bay Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Region 5 Office
U.S. Forest Service-Chesapeake Bay Office
U.S. Forest Service, George Washington-Jefferson National Forest and National Forests in Florida
Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust
Virginia Environmental Endowment